In pot and pan washing operations (which are to be strictly distinguished from dishwashing and glass washing operations) in a restaurant or the like, typical common requirements by local departments of health include at least a wash tank, a rinse tank and a sanitizing tank. A used pot and pan scraping and scrapping operation to initially clean substantial food residues and grease therefrom of some sort may also typically precede the wash tank. The subject improvement is designed to preferably (but not necessarily) be operated as one of four cooperating and longitudinally aligned tanks. The first of these is a scraping and scrapping tank where scraping utensils and high velocity water sprays (the latter typically being spray heads on hoses manipulatable by hand) enable the substantial removal from used pots and pans taken from cooking and/or food dispensing operations of the major residues and crusts of foods cooked in and/or dispensed from the pots or pans. Additionally, the major quantity of any grease contained within said pots and pans is additionally typically substantially removed in the said first scrapping and scraping tank.
The subject washing device preferably follows the scrapping and scraping tank operation, receiving therein the initially treated pots and pans, such typically still with some lesser food residues and grease thereon. This washing apparatus or tank is a device which is so constructed and operated as to create a relatively powerfully circulating body of water therein, such moving from elevated input nozzles on the back wall thereof to the front of the bottom wall, thence to the lower and center front wall, therefrom to rise and return back across the upper tank and water surface toward the back wall. A series of spaced apart, elevated jet nozzles are provided on the rear wall below the normal water level in the tank. An overflow opening is preferably provided somewhat above said jet nozzles also on the rear wall of the tank. A pump on one side wall of the tank intakes circulating water and detergent mix from the tank and pumps it back into a manifold connecting to the jet nozzles. A faucet for changing the level of water in the tank and/or initially filling or refilling the tank, after emptying thereof, is preferably provided in the rear wall above the overflow opening. There is a central drain in the bottom wall. A perforated screen mesh which is insertable in and removable from the tank preferably removably encloses the pump intake connection and any heating element provided in the tank from circulating food and material particles, as well as impacts from pots and pans being inserted in and/or removed from the tank.
After a certain time interval of soaking, washing and cleaning of the said pots and pans in the subject pot and pan washer tank, the washed pots and pans are removed by hand from the said washing tank and then dipped several times into a rinse tank before being passed into a sanitizer tank which typically utilizes an iodine solution therefor.
The optimum pot and pan washing device, of which the present invention is an example, performs all of the functions, of pot and pan washing, including optimally circulating and handling the detergent containing water in the tank, providing for periodic excess grease removal from such circulating water/detergent mixture and the necessary emptying and refilling of the tank itself.